President Donald Trump has criticized the US Department of Justice after federal prosecutors dropped criminal charges against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who had been accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC.
The decision followed a court filing by US Attorney Jeanine Pirro stating that newly obtained information showed the damage resulted from a flawed and rushed installation by the contractor rather than acts of vandalism.
Trump rejected that conclusion on Saturday, writing that he disagreed "100 percent" with the decision and maintaining that "the major damage was caused by VANDALS!"
Hearn, 67, was arrested after stopping during a bicycle ride and touching peeling sealant at the Reflecting Pool.
He had denied causing any damage and faced federal charges that prosecutors initially said were justified because the alleged vandalism exceeded $1,000.
Pirro had previously accused Hearn of deliberately damaging the landmark but later said documents provided by the Department of the Interior showed the deterioration stemmed from "a botched installation and not vandalism."
According to the filing, prosecutors only received information after the indictment indicating the project had been rushed to meet deadlines tied to celebrations surrounding the United States' 250th Independence Day.
Hearn's lawyers said the case should never have been brought and argued the government owed him an apology.
Despite the reversal, Trump continued to insist that vandals were responsible for the majority of the damage, while acknowledging "there may have been some contractor difficulty."
He also shared images unrelated to Hearn, including a photograph showing the numbers "86 47" carved into the nearby National Mall, though no evidence linked that incident to the Reflecting Pool.
The resurfacing project had been promoted by Trump as part of broader efforts to renovate Washington, DC, but quickly drew scrutiny after peeling sealant and algae appeared soon after completion.
The contractor was selected without a competitive bidding process, and the project later became the focus of political controversy as multiple vandalism cases were brought.
It remains unclear whether charges against other individuals connected to the investigation will also be dismissed, while the Reflecting Pool has again been drained as repair efforts continue.